Simple observation is one of the more valuable facets of training. It requires no sweat, strain, nor physical exertion of any kind, yet it produces results on par with the most rigorous workout. Like all things related to the craft of boxing, it does take practice to perfect. Listed below are a few things to get you started. Make critical observation a habit in the gym and at the fights you watch, both live and on TV.
Be Humble
Let’s get the lecture out of the way. One cannot talk and observe at the same time. The key to learning is humility–the belief that you lack knowledge and you desire to gain more of it. When you are in observation mode, keep your mouth shut and your eyes and ears open.
Eavesdrop
Listen to what trainers are telling their fighters in the gym. Do the fighters do as they’re told? How would you apply what you heard?
Think Like a Boxing Writer
When watching sparring or organized competition, try to come away from it with a clear idea of each fighter’s strengths and weaknesses. One of the keys to being a good boxing writer is the ability to break down a fight–the strengths and weaknesses of both fighters, and the factors that contributed to the outcome–then write the article so that it’s clear to the reader before deadline, which is sometimes a matter of a 20-30 minutes. Try to develop that same skill. How would you describe what you saw, in simple language, to someone who wasn’t there? If you can do that, you know you have learned something.
Make Old Boxing Videos New Again
Videos of even the most mundane fights are a gold mine if you break the fights down to their most simple elements:
Focus on one fighter for head movement. Watch his jab. Watch his defense of the jab. Does he slip it? Parry it? Slip and counter it? Or does the poor fellow just take them on the snoot? Watch for other punches and how they are defended, but focus on a single punch for extended periods, or even an entire fight.
Watch the feet. You could observe only the feet of the fighters and have a clear idea of who is winning. You can even tell which punches are being thrown. Is the left foot taking a shorts step straight forward? A jab. Does the left foot and knee turn sharply to the right? Left hook. Right foot pivots to the left? Straight right.
Use Your Imagination
Use you imagination and learn to pick fights apart. Those old boxing tapes you haven’t looked at in a while will gain new life, and so will your skills as you begin to apply your newfound knowledge.
